Asthma

Questions about asthma

What’s new in allergy treatment?

Eastern and Western medicine are joining forces. So now, irrigation with Neti pots and hydrating irrigating units (devices that deliver pulses of drug-free irrigation solution) and squeeze bottles are becoming more mainstream. This is really important because all these wash out the allergens that get in your nose. Also exciting are new intranasal antihistamines, such as Astelin, that work unbelievably well. They can be used in addition to oral antihistamines as well as nasal irrigation and nasal steroid sprays. Also, the newer generation antihistamines have nondrowsy formulations and are therefore better for those who need them at school and at work. The older versions tend to make most people sleepy.

What about air purifiers?

Air purifiers are great. But you

have to understand that if you have an air purifier in the bedroom, it’s
only going to clean the air around a perimeter of a few feet, and you
still have to deal with the air when you leave your house, which is
polluted. However, for bedrooms and work areas, patients find them very
effective. Don’t forget that it is important to regularly change the
filters.

The rates of both allergies and asthma have climbed in recent decades. Does current research tell us why? The rates of both allergies and asthma have climbed in recent decades. Does current research tell us why?

All upper and lower respiratory tract diseases are increasing. One
reason is that global warming is causing allergens to peak, so pollen
counts are higher each year as a result. People who are sensitive to
pollen will have worse allergies.

Another reason is that “super infections” are on the rise because people take antibiotics when
they don’t need them or don’t finish all their prescribed antibiotics.
The result is more resistant organisms that cause worse sinus infections
you have these super organisms, as they call them.

We also have an increase in pollution, with so many more cars on the road and so
many more factories. Pollution doesn’t cause allergies, but it does
cause inflammation and swelling in the nose and sinuses, and worsens
allergy symptoms. Common irritants include cigarette smoke and burning
coal in addition to car and factory exhaust.

What are the more serious symptoms of asthma?

What starts as
simple itching and sneezing can turn into something much more serious.
As your allergies worsen, your nasal passages and sinuses become swollen
and congested. This can lead to a sinus infection. The infected mucus
draining from your sinuses can drip into your stomach and, if you have
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cause symptoms to act up. And if
this mucus drips down the trachea into your lungs, it can irritate your
lungs and your airways.

If you have asthma, it can flare up
and lead to bronchitis. If the mucus drips over your Eustachian tube,
the tube that connects your middle ear to the outside of your head, the
tube becomes clogged and you can’t equalize the pressure in your ear.
This can lead to ear problems, such as decreased hearing from excess
pressure in the ear, ear pain, or even ear infection. Sleep apnea,
caused by a blockage anywhere from the tip of the nose to the back of
the throat, is another complication of allergies or sinus problems,
leading to sleep deprivation and chronic fatigue. Sleep apnea can cause
heart disease if it’s not treated; in fact, it’s the number one cause
for heart attack and stroke while sleeping.

Bottom line:
Allergies, although usually a quality of life issue that makes us feel
lousy, can also be very serious. People have anaphylactic reactions to
both environmental and food allergies, and you can end up with a really
bad asthma attack and possibly die. It’s much more than a stuffy nose,
and if the symptoms are not improving with simple measures, you should
see a board-certified sinus and allergy specialist.

What’s new in allergy treatment?

Eastern and Western
medicine are joining forces. So now, irrigation with Neti pots and
hydrating irrigating units (devices that deliver pulses of drug-free
irrigation solution) and squeeze bottles are becoming more mainstream.
This is really important because all these wash out the allergens that
get in your nose. Also exciting are new intranasal antihistamines, such
as Astelin, that work unbelievably well. They can be used in addition to
oral antihistamines as well as nasal irrigation and nasal steroid
sprays. Also, the newer generation antihistamines have nondrowsy
formulations and are therefore better for those who need them at school
and at work. The older versions tend to make most people sleepy.